By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor and West Coast Bureau Chief
RadioInfo
Stunning credentials
Very few executives in the spoken-word arena have the cache, success, and stunning credentials of WYD Media Management honcho Ron Hartenbaum.
MediaAmerica’s founding partner and the senior executive for Jones Radio Networks guides daily talk programs hosted by, among others, talk stalwarts Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, and Michael Smerconish. Away from the music-radio scene for the last nine years, Hartenbaum is jumping in again and doing so with tremendous enthusiasm.
Root cause for his re-emergence to FM music radio is a 19-year-old CHR talent. “Top 40 music did not bring me back – it is because of Zach Sang,” Hartenbaum proclaims. “Not only is he an incredible talent, Zach is also good at interacting with advertisers and businesspeople. He gets all aspects of the business and will have a phenomenal career. I want to be involved with the first third of it for the next 20 years. At that point, Zach will just be hitting his stride.”
The two have known each other for three years. “One of the most fascinating things that happened was that we were having a conversation about cost-per-points and this then-16-year-old probably knew more about it than I do,” Hartenbaum remarks. “I am very fortunate that all the people I deal with are very smart, very creative, and very aggressive. Zach is in that wonderful phase where he can learn. There are many great on-air talents, but there aren’t that many who are multi-faceted.”